Powerball's second-largest jackpot -- an estimated $1.2 billion -- up for grabs Wednesday

By Jason Hanna, CNNUpdated: Wed, 02 Nov 2022 13:10:32 GMTSource: CNNPowerball players will be taking their shot Wednesday night at an estimated $1.2 billion jackpot -- which would be the second-larges

By Jason Hanna, CNN

Updated: Wed, 02 Nov 2022 13:10:32 GMT

Source: CNN

Powerball players will be taking their shot Wednesday night at an estimated $1.2 billion jackpot -- which would be the second-largest pool in the game's 30-year history.

The jackpot has grown to that level in part because no jackpot has been won for 38 consecutive drawings dating to early August.

If the prize rests at $1.2 billion, it would be the fourth-largest US lottery jackpot and second-biggest Powerball jackpot.

The leader in both categories was a $1.586 billion Powerball grand prize shared by winners in California, Florida and Tennessee in January 2016.

Ranked second and third for US jackpots are a $1.537 billion Mega Millions prize won in South Carolina in 2018 and a $1.337 billion Mega Millions jackpot won by an Illinois ticket this summer.

If one ticket wins Wednesday night's drawing and the holder chooses a lump-sum option, the ticket would yield a one-time payment of an estimated $596.7 million, Powerball says. Otherwise, the estimated $1.2 billion prize would be spread over 30 payments across 29 years.

The last Powerball grand prize was awarded to a ticket in Pennsylvania on August 3 for a $206.9 million pot.

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